Privacy settings

Languages: A

DIGIT CAR TECH TECHNOLOGY THAT DRIVES THE JAPANESE 'SHINKANSEN' BULLET TRAINS HEADED TO

INDIA

Technology that drives the Japanese 'Shinkansen' Bullet Trains headed to India
Here's all you need to know about the technology that drives Japan's famous Bullet Trains as India plans it's
own high-speed Shinkansen network between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
By Adamya Sharma Published Date 14 - Sep - 2017 | Last Updated 14 - Sep - 2017 Like Share 1.1K Tweet

Coolpad Cool Play 6 (Gentle Go... 14999

When I first visited Japan, taking a ride on the Shinkansen - popularly known as the Bullet Train - was on the
top of my list of things to do in the land of the rising sun. I travelled a distance of 340 Kms from the capital
city of Tokyo to the capital of Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya. It took me a little less than 1.5 Hrs to reach
my destination at top speeds of up to 350 Km/h.
If described in a single sentence, the experience was both dizzying and exciting at the same time. Dizzying,
because looking out the window of a train travelling at such high speeds makes the outside world appear like
a complete blur, and exciting, because the Shinkansen is nothing but a wonder of technology, used by Japan
since 1964.

When Japan got its first bullet train called the Tokaido Shinkansen, the high speed rail network was only 515
Kms long and trains travelled at maximum speeds of 200 Km/h. With the growing pace of technology, these
trains can now run at speeds of 500 Km/h, while the upcoming Maglev trains promise top speeds of 603
Km/h.

Now, this super-fast rail network is headed to Gujarat, India thanks to the country’s neighbourly relationship
with Japan. The first Bullet Train line in india is being built to traverse a distance of 500 Kms from the heart of
Gujarat to the maximum city; Ahmedabad to Mumbai. The route will consist of 12 stations for the 12 stops
the Bullet Train will be making, completing the entire journey in three hours, as opposed to the current travel
time of eight hours.

Like in Japan, the Shinkansen will travel at speeds of 350 Km/h while it has a potential of hitting world record
setting top speeds of 500 Km/h. Yes, it is less than half the speed a potential Hyperloop system which boasts
of top speeds of 1,200 Km/h, but it is technology that has existed, tried and tested over decades and it works
beautifully.

Over the Bullet Train’s 50 year long history in Japan, it has ferried nearly 10 billion passengers. There has
only been one derailment incident in the history of the Shinkansen, which happened in 2004 and was caused
by severe earthquakes in the Niigata Prefecture. There were no reported fatalities during the incident, but
after it, the Japan Railway Company developed a special metal fitting called an L-shaped guide, attached to
the outside of the wheel, preventing it from deviating from the rails by controlling the lateral displacement of
the cars. As earthquakes are common in Japan, the Bullet Train also uses an Urgent Earthquake Detection
and Alarm System, wherein seismometers are installed in areas with high chances of experiencing
earthquakes. When there is an indication of a potential earthquake, the system kicks into place and cuts the
power supply to the train to avoid any accidents.

Inside Shinkansen 800 series

Did You Know? Japanese crews clean an entire Bullet Train in flat 7 minutes as the
train only stops for 8 minutes at each station

To achieve its high speeds, the Bullet Train network is designed to have no obstacles in its path, besides the
regulatory stop signals. The train is not affected by slower locals or freight trains and the network has been
built sans any road crossings. In Japan, there are heavy penalties imposed for trespassing on the Bullet Train
track.

Even the route that the super fast train takes is different from what normal trains would follow. It travels
through tunnels and viaducts to go through the obstacles rather than going around them, considerably
reducing travel time. In India, the Bullet Train route will mostly be an elevated route, with the exception of a 7
Km long undersea tunnel.

The Bullet Train uses electrified lines with 25 kV AC overhead power supply as opposed to the existing
broad-gauge and narrow-gauge systems used predominantly in India. To reduce the pressure of dragging the
entire train on the lead car, the power in the Bullet Train is distributed along the axles under each car. All
axles in the Bullet Train are motored, which results in higher than usual acceleration. This is also the reason
why the train does not loose much time even while stopping frequently.

Did You Know? The Annual average delay is of Bullet Trains is 54 second per train.

For Safety and navigation, an Automatic Train Control (ATC) system runs the entire network. The system
warns the train driver with speed indications and audible warnings in case the train passes its prescribed
speed. In Japan, the Shinkansen is not allowed to go above speeds of 320 Km/h - 350 Km/h. The Automatic
Train Control system will deploy the brakes of the train if the driver does not pay heed to warnings generated
by the system.
In India, the 750-seat Bullet Train, along with its network infrastructure, is expected to cost $17 billion
(nearly Rs 110,000 Cr), loaned from Japan. However, India will not get Japan’s latest Maglev Bullet Trains
called the Chuo Shinkansen. Japan itself is struggling with huge infrastructure and cost issues with its Maglev
train project between Tokyo and Nagoya. Maglev trains can travel at speeds of 603 Km/h, higher than the
current fastest Shanghai Maglev trains of China. Maglev trains use magnetic levitation over guideways and
move without making any contact with the ground. This allows for very high speed travel by reducing friction
and creating both lift and propulsion. Japan’s Chuo Shinkansen can levitate at 10cm compared to Shanghai
maglev’s 1cm levitation.

The traditional bullet trains travelling between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will launch sometime in 2022,if all
goes as planned. The current fastest train in India is the Rajdhani Express which travels at a speed of 160
Km/h. So yes, we are long due for some major improvements in our railway technology and the Shinkansen is
a step in the right direction.

No playback support.
You may download video here.
Using the latest version of Google Chrome may help to view
this content.
 Adamya
Sharma
News Junkie, Movie Buff, Tech Whiz!

More From Digit

Comparison: Lenovo K8 Plus vs Xiaomi Mi A1 Dell XPS 13 Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro launched exclusively
on Paytm at Rs. 8,490

Recommended by

You Might Also Like

Why Doctors Will No Longer Prescribe Game Of Throne's Most Beautiful Actresses In Expats' top tips about living in France
Metformin (Watch) Real Life InterNations
healthnewstips.today Frank151

USA Green Card Lottery Registration 2017 is If you own a computer you must try this 15 million players are already addicted!
Open Now. Check your eligibility to apply game! Forge Of Empires
greencardorganization.com Vikings

Recommended by

OTHER POPULAR DEALS

Swipe Elite 3- 4G with...

Rs. 5499 Buy Now

Honor 6X (Grey, 64GB)

Rs. 13999 Buy Now

 Apple iPhone 7 32 GB (Black)

Rs. 48299 Buy Now

Intel IOT Developer - Select your device and find guides, documentation, downloads, support, and more.

advertisements

OTHER POPULAR DEALS

Coolpad Note 5 (Royal Gold, 32...
Rs. 8999

Buy Now

Honor 6X (Grey, 64GB)

Rs. 13999

Buy Now

OnePlus 3T (Gunmetal, 6GB RAM +...

Rs. 25999

Buy Now

advertisements

RECENT NEWS
Google's 2017 Pixel smartphones might be announced on October 4: Report

India's Chandrayaan-1 helps scientists map water on Moon

Dell launches VR-ready Precision 5720 All-in-One in India starting at Rs 109,000

Android Nougat market share finally surpasses KitKat for the first time

OTA links, Factory images of September Android Security patch live for Pixel, Nexus devices

SECURITY WATCH POWERED BY

Advantages, disadvantages, and snags of rooting your Android device

This is how ExPetr targets businesses

Here is how you can protect yourself from ExPetr ransomware

Petya ransomware found affecting gateway terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and major businesses across Europe, the US
and Asia

advertisements

TRENDING STORIES
Technology that drives the Japanese 'Shinkansen' Bullet Trains headed to India

Apple TV 4K is a long awaited smart TV competitor with HDR10 and Dolby Vision, India prices start at Rs 15,900
Apple Watch Series 3 launched with cellular connectivity, only GPS version coming to India at Rs 29,900

Here's what's new in the Apple iPhone X's cameras

Competition for Jio: Bharti Airtel launches VoLTE, services go Live in Mumbai

advertisements

BEST MOBILE PHONES

Best Phone under 10000

Best Phones Under 15000

Best Smartphones Under 20000

Upcoming Mobile Phones in India 2017

Best Android Mobile Phones

advertisements

Resource Center
Check out the OPPO F3 - First Look

By OPPO

Game development drives systems and developers hard, with multicore technolog...

By Intel

advertisements

Contests
Bluemix Real Challenge Contest
Answer 3 Simple Question and Win Prizes worth...
PARTICIPATE NOW

Forum Discussion
Torvalds On Where Linux Is Headed In 2008

Surfing Internet from Moving Trains - Gets Clearance from ISRO.

PS3 recalls some games headed to xbox 360

Train from Spain: Talgo to run trial runs of faster trains in India

Japanese Scientists Create Elastic Water

LOAD PAGE 1

ABOUT CONTACT ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PRIVACY TERMS SITEMAP HTML

US US
Digit caters to the largest community of tech buyers, users and enthusiasts in India. The all new Digit.in continues the legacy of Thinkdigit.com as one of the largest
portals in India committed to technology users and buyers. Digit is also one of the most trusted names when it comes to technology reviews and buying advice and is
home to the Digit Test Lab, India's most proficient center for testing and reviewing technology products.

We are about leadership – the 9.9 kind! Building a leading media company out of India. And, grooming new leaders for this promising industry.

Copyright © 2007-14 Nine Dot Nine Mediaworx Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.